So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

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So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

Personally I suspect said fan said something racist towards him (because I don't see Marcus Smart reacting that way otherwise) and that seems to be what's reported. Now should he have shoved him? No but I can't really fault him either.

And in case you are wondering Metta World Peace did weigh in on this(who better to ask?)

@smart_MS3 all mistakes and missteps are a foundation for improvement. Sometimes the game is so intense , we forget its just a game.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

The fan seems like a real *******, had a smirk on his face after the altercation like he succeeded in setting Smart off. Takes a really special person to heckle a 19 year old kid.

I think the fan probably said something racist or otherwise really personal. Yes, Smart appears to have a checkered past, but its not like he's the only guy to ever play college basketball that had a checkered past, and these kind of things are far from common. I don't know what the fan said, but it must have been particularly bad to set Smart off.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

I think I would immediately disqualify my opinion because I'm white, and not a basketball player, so it's impossible for me to put myself in his shoes.

My thought, which may be entirely wrong, is that I don't blame him as a man, and I think I might do the same if I were him (but could never know). But as a basketball player, as we learned with the Pacers, there are certain professionalism boundaries you don't cross, and you must weigh crossing of said boundaries accordingly when considering potential punishment.

I hope it's nothing that damages his draft stock or future earnings because of one decision. But I also think there is a professionalism standard in NCAA which suggests his actions as an athlete were not appropriate.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

Let's be real here: Does anyone think this is the first time a fan has yelled that word at a basketball player? You can't react like that if you are Marcus Smart. You just can't. Yes, it's a horrible thing to say and completely out of line, but this situation is now 100x worse because of his reaction.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

Let's be real here: Does anyone think this is the first time a fan has yelled that word at a basketball player? You can't react like that if you are Marcus Smart. You just can't. Yes, it's a horrible thing to say and completely out of line, but this situation is now 100x worse because of his reaction.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

^the official reports seem to be that he called Smart a "piece of crap." Not really smart to do when the player is in the stands already, but probably an overreaction by Smart. I guess he was "word-flopping." The fan volunteered not to attend any more games this year. Three game suspension may put OSU in a tough spot for the tourney. They are not deep.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

^the official reports seem to be that he called Smart a "piece of crap." Not really smart to do when the player is in the stands already, but probably an overreaction by Smart. I guess he was "word-flopping." The fan volunteered not to attend any more games this year. Three game suspension may put OSU in a tough spot for the tourney. They are not deep.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

That guy should get a lifetime ban, but he won't. At the VERY least they should move his seats away from the court so he can't pull that **** anymore.

I would have agreed with you, and I can barely hear anything in the video, but if all he said was piece of crap I am not sure I think he should get a lifetime ban.

Personally, I think it is silly to taunt athletes. I like the playful jeering, but the trash talk, especially to a kid.....I just find that weird. That said, I have chanted many a "airball chants", and we even got a kid in HS to throw up a half court shot with 3 seconds left before we got in his head with the countdown chant.

I guess it all comes down to context.

Not sure how I feel about the suspension. Dont follow college much, but I wonder why not a 1 game suspension.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

"I would like to take this opportunity to offer my sincere apologies to Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State, Tubby Smith and the Texas Tech Men's Basketball program," Orr said in a statement. "My actions last night were inappropriate and do not reflect myself or Texas Tech -- a university I love dearly. I regret calling Mr. Smart a 'piece of crap' but I want to make it known that I did not use a racial slur of any kind. Additionally, I would like to offer my apologies to Texas Tech fans that have been embarrassed by the attention this incident has created."Orr volunteered not to attend any Texas Tech games for the rest of the season, sources told ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

I would have agreed with you, and I can barely hear anything in the video, but if all he said was piece of crap I am not sure I think he should get a lifetime ban.

Personally, I think it is silly to taunt athletes. I like the playful jeering, but the trash talk, especially to a kid.....I just find that weird. That said, I have chanted many a "airball chants", and we even got a kid in HS to throw up a half court shot with 3 seconds left before we got in his head with the countdown chant.

I guess it all comes down to context.

Not sure how I feel about the suspension. Dont follow college much, but I wonder why not a 1 game suspension.

Yeah, when I wrote that I was operating under the assumption that he dropped an N-bomb on Smart.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

Yeah, just lost a game, fall into the stands, and some guy standing over you calls you a piece of crap. Those two women probably weren't saying "Well played game, young sir!" either. Probably an overreaction.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

Yeah, just lost a game, fall into the stands, and some guy standing over you calls you a piece of crap. Those two women probably weren't saying "Well played game, young sir!" either. Probably an overreaction.

I don't know what was said, but I think after the Artest Melee player/fan interactions have changed. You can't engage a fan in a physical, aggressive manner.

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

Kevin Durant Sides With Marcus Smart in Fan Shoving Incident
After shoving a verbally abusive (and possibly racist) Texas Tech fan on Saturday, Oklahoma State guard Marcus Smart was suspended for three games. Both Kevin Durant and Metta World Peace put their support behind the kid on Sunday. Per the Oklahoman:
“I just put it like this,” Durant said. “If you wouldn’t say that if we were walking down the street, then you should keep that to yourself.”

“I played in that place my one year at Texas, and those fans say some crazy stuff to you,” Durant said. “But he’s a (19)-year-old kid, heat of the moment. It’s easy for you guys to judge him because you’ve never been in that situation, but I’m sure he regrets it, made a mistake and I’m sure he’ll learn from it.”

Durant even went as far as to say, “I’m not sure I would have reacted any different.”

“At 19 years old, when I came out of St. John’s, I was fresh out the hood, fresh out of Queensbridge,” World Peace said. “So my mentality was still a struggle, defensive and things like that. So I wasn’t really conscious.

“But I’m 34 years old now. (Smart’s) a young kid. I wish I would have listened when I was a kid, to my elders or to people who had my best interest at heart. And then I wish I would have been more conscious at my age. Those are two things that if you were to reach out to a kid like Marcus, a talented kid, a future leader in the community, you would tell him those things.”

Re: So what did you guys think of Marcus Smart shoving a fan in the stands?

I know it's stupid, but people really need to learn that whole "words never hurt me" line and just walk away. Reacting phsyically to someone because they're stupid, just makes you look stupid. I expect childish rationalizations out of MWP, but Durant's response is a disappointment.

What if someone from a school of business or management school were to ask, How did you do this? How did you get the Pacers turned around? Is there a general approach you've taken that can be summarized?